Rustic Herb Turkey

Turkey day is fast approaching and I'm fired up because a) we LOVE turkey and, b) I discovered a few years ago that roasting a turkey is so incredibly easy. Now we make it about five times a year.

It all started a few years ago - back when I skipped through life without a turkey care in the world because MOMs always cook the turkey. And then (needle scratches across record), I woke up one morning and thought, "OMG! I'm the mom! Me! I have to make the turkey this year!" The moment was both sobering and panic-inducing. And then, I made the turkey. And it was good. And the world kept a-spinnin'. So here are my best do's and don'ts ... yays and nays ... OMGs and fails when it comes to all things turkey:

OMG: Buy a fresh, not frozen turkey. It's so much easier when you don't have to make time in your life, or room in your fridge, to thaw what must have been an ostrich-sized bird.

Fail: Underestimating the time it takes to thaw a turkey - three to four days (days!) in the fridge for a 14-pound turkey.

Note: If stuffing turkey, increase roasting time by 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of stuffing reaches 165°F on an instant-read food thermometer.

Tips and Hints

Don't wash the turkey! The USDA says that washing turkey (or poultry of any kind) prior to cooking just splashes bacteria all over your kitchen.

Don't stuff the turkey. Instead, bake your stuffing in a separate dish alongside the turkey. Stuffed turkeys take eons to bake because the center of that stuffing needs to hit 165° ... and by that time, your turkey will be jerky.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
TSBrittney from
Best Turkey Ever!This is the way I always make my turkey. We've had it for the last two Thanksgivings and I also make roasted turkey breasts throughout the winter this way for a great Sunday dinner. Who says making a Turkey is hard? NOT this way!!!